Look for longer bass fishing seasons in Zones 17, 18 and 20, New Walleye regulations for Lake Nipissing and Zone 18 and new muskellunge and rainbow trout regulations for Zone 20. Anglers are reminded to check the 2013 Fishing Regulations Summary (available January 1, 2013) to become familiar with the regulation changes before going fishing.

Ontario’s fishing regulations help to ensure that our world class fisheries remain healthy. New regulations included in the 2013 Recreational Fishing Regulations Summary were developed to:

• provide additional angling opportunities where they are sustainable

• protect the sustainability of populations by limiting the number or size of fish that can be harvested, or by reducing the number of days during the year they can be targeted.

• protect the quality of valuable fisheries by regulating the size of fish that can be harvested.

Effective January 1, 2013, a new Recreational Fishing Regulations Summary will be available at authorized licence issuers, ServiceOntario locations and at the Ministry of Natural Resources’ website at ontario.ca/fishing.

This brochure highlights a number of regulation changes that anglers should be aware of before going fishing in 2013. It is for reference purposes only and does not include all regulations.ontario.ca/zonecouncils

New Regulation Highlights

Zone Regulation Change for 2013*ontario.ca/zonecouncils

In 2008, the ministry began a long-term program to monitor the health of Ontario’s lakes. The program allows the ministry to better understand the current state of fish and other aquatic resources, identify stresses on these resources and report on changes over time. The program is already providing information critical for managing our fisheries more effectively. Across Ontario, more than 800 lakes have been sampled, providing information on fish abundance, growth rates, diet, contaminant levels and reproduction, as well as water quality, invasive species and angling effort.

Since 2008, the ministry has been working to increase public participation in fisheries management. Fisheries advisory councils help the ministry to develop fisheries management objectives and strategies, including regulatory options. Council members are doing a great public service by volunteering their time and providing advice to ensure Ontario’s fisheries provide benefits now and in the future.Many of the regulation changes included in the 2013 Recreational Fishing Regulations Summary have been developed in cooperation with fisheries management zone advisory councils.

10Removed the requirement to designate which lakes fishers can dip-net for whitefish and herring.

18Removed 10 size-based exception regulations for walleye to harmonize regulations with the new zone-wide regulation.

18Modified sanctuary dates on Crotch Lake and Mississippi River to harmonize with other sanctuaries in the zone.

20Increase of the minimum size limit for muskellunge in Lake Ontario and the Lower Niagara to 137 cm (54 in).

20 New limits for rainbow trout (S-2, C-1).* S = Limits for Sportfishing licence holders; C = Limits for Conservation licence holdersFor reference purposes only. List does not include all fishing regulations. Be sure to read the Recreational Fishing Regulations Summary before going fishing. The summary is available at local license issuers, ServiceOntario locations and at ontario.ca/fishing

At the risk of being labelled a fish killer and rapist, this makes no sense to me at all.

for all feeder strreams/rivers etc, I would agree to an extent.

this satisfies the purist fly fisherman style of pursuit only and makes me wonder what is next on the list? And to clarify, I have no issues with stream/river fishing C&R as I do that myself, BUT, I want that choice of keeping if I wish to do so

5 fish is generous, but as a charter person, we only get groups out once or maybe twice per year......so which is worse? keeping say 5 fish once per season or 1-2 every other week by those that pursue bows consistantly?

Stock more atlantics , but still dismall returns for the bucks spent

I cannot speak for the charter boat industry, but for many of us, this may hurt quite a bit, BUT what it will hurt most of all are the rainbow stocks themselves in the long run.

Example would be catch and release during dog days of June, July and August.around an 8 week window, when the bulk of these released rainbows will simply die.

I know that you have all seen great C&R shows and even done it yourselves, but in my expereince, releasing a bow from over 40-60 feet down in that time period is almost certain death.

of course it will peel off after release, but come back to that area 1/2 hour later and see the damage, not to mention the ones that go down and do not resurface

What I am hearing already is that guys will stay out and C&R for the trip duration and then keep a couple near the end or some bigger ones instead of the 3-6 pounders.

This is not good, but it is legal

Some people come up for salmon only, so any bow is put back.again somewhat of a problem at times

I can go on and on what is wrong with this plan. On the surface it sounds good, and most river anglers will applaud this move, but in reality it is NOT differantiating lake and river fishing

Again, from personal experience and of others in the industry and local clubs,

our rainbow fishery was/is not in trouble in any way shape or form that I can see

If it really was, then there are other tried and proven ways to correct this.........stream/habitat rehabilitaion, protection during spawning and just like it began, HATCHERIES...lots of them. after all these were introduced fish to begin with

I know I rambled a bit there, but it's difficult to get every angle of this into one reply

To end this for now.....I am wondering who is working for who as far as MNR goes now and my gut feeling is at all all time low

I agree with Shank. Those limits are acceptable for streams and rivers, but in the Great Lakes?Seems a little crazy. Most of my fishing is C&R but I do like to eat fish as well. It may hurt the charters. Leave it to the government. Cheers!

Some really valid points on this from Longshank. Kind of disturbing knowing your releasing a fish just to let it die. I am quite sure there will be allot more discussion on this from our members. Has to really make you wonder about how the ministry makes these decisions and backs them up.

Surfing differnt sites, I see this is getting grand reviews from amny shore fisheramn and a constant referance to charters and how it will hurt us.

Not reall.......still a 5 fish limit with salmon mixed in. I also found over the years that many people do not really wish to keep 5 fish in total, more like 3 on average. Some do like 5 no question.

NYS has a 3 fish aggregate limit and oes not seem to be hurting their charter industry at all.

Off beat quetion.....dos this same reg. apply to Lake Erie R. trout limits.if not why not?

I heard of this proposal 4-5 years ago and question the merits then. still do now.

Not too many people involved in this decision making process nor respondeants were ever more than 1-2 miles offshore on lake Ontario and that's where the bulk of the bows live most of the time.

There is also precious little info on what species /strains of rainbows we are looking at......wonder why?

The Ganarska strain is weak, whereas the NYS strains are fantastic and with great returns.

FYI, far as I know the Charter boat industry was never consulted as an entity..

eg, the OSGA

Also, one more item left out completely is.....Derby/Kill tourneys on the lake per year...........too many with fish just going into the trashbins after weigh in, or being culled out on the water (dead).............anyone think of that one?

Fishseries mangemanet is comples.all factors need to be consideered.....all and then the will to make effective change for the benifit of all

catch reduction is by far the easiest and simplest way of virtually doing nothing for the betterment of the fishery as a whole, but makes it look so.

I go back to earlier days when lake O was devoid of fish........how did such a great fishery............World class get there?

I was awaiting for Shanker to reply on this...Well said. unfortunately I believe there is always something more to this evolved ....$

I strongly believe as well releasing a fish from 40-85 down below will result in a fish belly up ! I totally agree with every word you post about Shanker. I was out there with to witness these fish Belly up . No sense of bring a fish rod when these tournaments are hosted. Just pack net !

I am no scientist but this is what I believe happens to many of the fish caught in these depths. Fish caught in deep water often sustain injuries referred to as barotrauma, caused by rapid decompression and expansion of gases in the swim bladder. Fish that are released with inflated swim bladders cannot re submerge and will die. Because of high release mortality, intentional catch-and-release fishing is greatly discouraged, particularly in depths of 50 feet or greater in my books. Fish coming to the surface hitting the secound Atomsphere cannot sustain the pressure . There for the swim bladder may also come out from their mouths.....

There will be a lot more floating fish around for these up coming season ! And the government is always preaching how so many jobs are lost in the paper ......wonder why

Massive stocking of WF brought them back, but then last year was a weird year overall for them.

What I am saying is that a decade or more is often not enough to show what is really happening to a fishery if declining returns are seen.

All factors must be considered, not just catch.

Getting back to lake O.......in 17 years out there, I have not seen any reduction in Rainbow numbers at al, nor forage base.

Don't get me wrong, I can and will live with the new reductions with no problems.

I just do not believe the decision was based on real hard evidence and I still maintain it will create more lake mortality than anticipated, but hey...whoe's looking out there, so kind of like out of sight out of mind scenario?

And it's the unseen mortality that is my main concern here and always has been.

It may have been better to put in 5 fish and you are done for day clause and no C&R

I tend to look at fisheries more optimistically.

for example.....lake Huron............salmon fishing now better than in last decade.......yet, both sides of border don't want them there.insist on LT only.

Saugeen river had a banner year whereas 10 years ago, tough to get them

This is mostly due to water improvement and local clubs, or just naturl resabilization of a sustainable population, not gov't initiatives

In the end, I guess what I really want is the right to choose here...keep or C&R

Bass fishermen will rejoice. They can now hold a few extra tournaments and pull fish off the beds legally. Charter captains will lose business because clients can only keep a few fish and not get their moneys worth anymore by bringing in 20 fish. The bluezone will be full of floaters from so called catch and release and culling the biggest fish for the derby ticket. No matter what they do its a lost cause until fishermen stop being so greedy.

Bass fishermen will rejoice. They can now hold a few extra tournaments and pull fish off the beds legally. Charter captains will lose business because clients can only keep a few fish and not get their moneys worth anymore by bringing in 20 fish. The bluezone will be full of floaters from so called catch and release and culling the biggest fish for the derby ticket. No matter what they do its a lost cause until fishermen stop being so greedy.

With great respect I would ask why you think fisherman are greedy.

For example a family or group of people get together once a year to go fishing and take some home via a charter boat. if lucky enough, they wind up with a limit or near limit of fish and I guarantee you, the folks I am talking about will, eat every one of those.

Now compare that to oursevles, we that have the option to fish on a very regular basis and keep one every now and then, but over the course of 1 year..how many?

This anology applies to all species.

I see the vast majority of people agreeing with this regulation, but the vast majority of people do not fish where I do nor ever will.

trust me, I would do back flips to see the rainbow stock get bigger and more of them. I just do not think this is the correct way

it so lets the gov't off the hook to spend dollars instead

I'll share my real fear here with you...........what I see going way down the road is elitist fishing only.much like Europe and other areas where soon enough you will pay for a river section to fish for so many hours. think that cannot happen..already begun.

So, if we really want a sustainable fishery for our grandkids as we often preach, then we must force gov't to enhance fisheries, not hamper them.

Open shore fishing, not restrict it

Get more kids out fishing now, not later

Show them the value of C&R plus the value of bringing home a delicious meal.

2 things in life I value a great deal...........catch a bow and release it/catch a